Alex Matthews says they could have no one better leading them than skipper Marlie Packer.
Gloucester-Hartpury No.8 Matthews, 30, has 66 caps while Saracens openside Packer, 34, has 103 caps - and they have both been excellent so far in this campaign.
They and their teammates will face their biggest test yet this coming weekend in round five with everything on the line against second-placed France who are also unbeaten and going for a Grand Slam and the title.
As a result the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux is going to be rocking for the final game of the who tournament and Matthews cannot wait to follow skipper Packer into battle.
“Marlie is great, she is full of energy, but she knows when to tone that down and it means that she leads with clear, concise communication,” Matthews said.
“She is brilliant at bringing all of the girls together and she knows when to say the right things at the right time.
“She also leads by example out there on the pitch and we always want to follow her and back her up.
“France will definitely show something we haven’t seen so far over the last few weeks so we have got to be ready for anything and give it our best
“I think we have just got another mental switch to flick when it comes to our defence.
“Our intent to get off the line is definitely something we need to push as a team and I am excited to see what we can do. We have been pretty comfortable so far so I am excited to be uncomfortable if France really come at us.
“We know the majority of the crowd will be against us and last time in France we noticed that.
“But we loved being booed. I ran out for my 50th cap with the whole crowd booing and I don’t think I would have wanted it any other way!
“We just get riled up by that and want to prove a point and almost silence the crowd early. The girls definitely thrive off that as well.”
Twelve months ago England sealed the Grand Slam with a 38-33 triumph over France at Twickenham and the world’s number one side were 33-0 up at half-time.
While there are good memories from that day, Matthews has not been looking back for inspiration this week.
“We haven’t spoken about last year in camp, I think everything is on us in the here and now this time.
“We are a completely different team now with a completely different style of play. We have had such growth since then so we haven’t really dwelled on the past at all.
“I think everyone is playing with smiles on their faces. We have all got the freedom to play rugby at the end of the day. In XVs, you do get stuck in structures sometimes, but actually we are playing ‘heads up’ rugby.
“If something is on, we are encouraged to just play it and play to your strengths.
“In attack everyone is backing each other, everyone is off your shoulder. It is brilliant, when you come together and you’ve got that bond, it is amazing to do.
“Going into the weekend, we are just focused on us.”
